Purpose of review: Radiation-associated valvular disease (RAVD) is characterized by late valvular manifestations following radiation exposure to the mediastinum. Review of current guidelines was performed to examine best practices to reduce risk and optimize outcomes in this patient population.
Recent findings: Early and consistent screening and comprehensive and careful planning are critical in managing RAVD. Due to long latency periods, serial screening and targeted evaluation of risk factors are essential to early detection. Varying and complex presentations of RAVD require an integrated team of experienced specialists equipped with multimodality imaging-based screening protocols to stratify risk, plan intervention, and evaluate treatment response. Patients with valvular manifestations associated with radiation therapy call for an individualized plan of care involving longitudinal multimodality imaging-based screening and experienced decision-making regarding timing and strategy of intervention to improve patient outcomes.
Keywords: Cancer; Cardio-oncology; Radiation therapy; Radiation-associated cardiac disease; Radiation-associated valvular disease.